Spiderwebs!

Spring is trying it's best to bring us warmer weather.  When the winter clouds part, there is your car sitting in the sun. It's not so shiny, and clearly the finish is warn down from all the salt and grime.  And while you may not want to admit to us that you went through the drive-through car wash a couple times, you know it is horrible for your car's finish!  In fact, it is one of the leading causes of this very topic...spiderwebs.  When the bright sun hits your  car, you notice something.  It's very peculiar, and it wasn't there last summer.  It looks like a spiderweb over the paint, doesn't, it?

Now what?  You wash your car and it's still there, but even worse now that the dirt is all gone.  It's like a kaleidoscope gone bad!  So how do you fix it?  Well of course we recommend bringing it to us, but we don't really have any secrets here.  While we do not recommend trying this on your own car, we'll share the process with you.

The severity of the "spidewebs" determines our approach.  For the mild, we can often use a wax/polish combination (preferably Autglym's Radiant Wax Polish) with just a low-speed orbital buffer to condition the clear coat back to it's proper gloss.  If that is not enough, we may use that same product with a high-speed rotary buffer.  The buffer is set to a lower speed, typically between 1800-2000 rpm's.  Carefully and evenly, we go over the entire vehicle.  The friction of the high-speed buffer with a light-cut foam pad creates ust enough heat to force the clear cloat to lose its defects.  This creates a smooth and glossy surface.  Once completed, we use soft microfiber towels to wipe down the paint, and we will offer to apply a protective sealant, (our favorite is Autoglym's HD Wax) for additional resistance to corrosion and sun-damage.  Happy driving everyone!  Expect more to come on paint blemishes and how we conquer them...

Location Update!

Hey Everyone!

I apologize for the hiatus this past week.  It's been very hectic around the detail shop.  A month and a half of snow followed by a week of sunny and seventy degrees makes for a lot of cars to wash!  So the big mystery as of lately has been where will Details To Go call home starting in March?  The good news, my friends, is that we have agreed on a new location.  It is going to give us great flexibility, and we're expecting increased business as well.  Sometimes things just have a way of working themselves out.  Jocelyn and I are very excited to make the announcement later this week.  You didn't think I was going to just spill all the beans right now, did you?  Can't wait to see everyone at the new shop.  We're planning an open house already!  Make it a great week.

Mommy Mondays

Alright, ladies.  This is my Valentine's present to you.  I promised there would be some specials posted on the blog, so here goes.  You may or may not know around 65% of our retail customers are women.  The other 35% are usually sent by their wives!  Many of these women are coming in because the kids have done a number on their vehicle's interior.  Well, worry not!  We actually can get all those french fries, peanuts, cheez-its, and cheerios out from between the seats, in the cracks, and yes, we can clean out that sticky cupholder!.  Oh, and that bottle of milk that spilled?  You're not alone, and yes we can get rid of that smell!

So what's this good deal?  Starting today, moms can get 15% off any detail package (Interior, Exterior, Reflections, or Concourse) on Mondays through the end of March.  You can call or schedule online- just mention Mommy Mondays.  We will only have this deal at our shop (it just costs too much to send a mobile truck out at a discounted rate), but we will be happy to drop you off in downtown Franklin, or we can pick your vehicle up if it's not too far!  For package and pricing info, visit http://www.detailstogo.com/.

Don't forget to tell other moms you know!!

Operation: Salt removal

This year has been one of the worst winters I've ever seen in middle Tennessee.  It seems like we've had snow once a week since Christmas!  The snow usually starts as a beautiful white wonderland.  Soon, however the salt trucks hit the streets.  You know what comes next.  Our cars are covered in a gray film of thick salt and brine.  I have new for you, my friends:  it's worse than it looks.

It's so important to remove that stuff as soon as you can.  That corrosive sodium chloride is not a good match for a glossy paint finish.  Over time, it can dull and corrode your finish.  The solution?  Not-so-complicated.  A simple thorough wash does wonders.  Of course, I don't mean a drive through gas station wash.  Those will likely leave you unhappy, and your car even more so.  The thing about that salt that coats your car is that what you don't see is just as important as what you do see.  That salt solution has a way of caking up on the undercarriage, around the frame rails where it can promote rust. It can work its way into the seams where the body panels meet up on your vehicle.  And don't get me started on the wheels, wheel wells, and the rubber trim that surrounds your windows!


A hand wash with some high pressure (like what you might find at Details To Go ;) is the answer.  This is only the first step.  A premium polish and wax is next.  This will revive your paint's finish and provide protection for the next few rounds of winter weather.  The other thing that's crucial is a discerning eye that can spot paint chips that have occurred over the winter.  Left exposed, those paint-less freckles on your car's finish will quickly turn brown with car-cancer.  It is not uncommon for us to offer a paint touch-up to "heal the wounds" from rocks and other debris that have marred a car's finish.  We recommend forking over the unreasonable prices for the dealer's matching paint, and then we'll apply it for you.  (What can I say, they just match better.)


That's all for now.  The weather forecast is for a week of sunshine.  I have a feeling there is a line of cars forming down Columbia Ave. right now....

Rare Find!

First of all, I need to thank my wife (and now business partner) Jocelyn for helping create the new blog.  Also, thanks to our new followers!  We've had 6 followers join in just 12 hours!!  Now on to today's post...

Last week, we had a piece of automobile history roll right in to our shop on Columbia Avenue.  I am a bit of a car junkey, as are some of our staff, so we were naturally excited.  It was a 1954 Hudson Super Jet.  This car kind of gained a bad reputation as the car that killed Hudson.  That, however, was not really fair to this little gem of a car.

It was referred to as an engineering masterpiece by Road and Track magazine when it debuted.  It was quick, reliable, and well, kind of ugly compared to its competition.  At a cost of just under $2,000, it was more expensive than rival Chevy's and Fords.  It also featured short, stubby body lines and a in-line 6 cylinder engine, where the other Detroir-produced cars were low, long, lean, and powered with big V-8 motors.

Now looking back, it's a cute car, and a working piece of history.  Seeing and working on these vehicles is what inspires us!  We love that our customers trust us with their prized cars.  So here's the questions:  What is your favorite classic car?  Feel free to leave your comments!

Location! Location! Location!

Hey Everyone!  There are some new and exciting things happening with Details To Go in 2011 so we thought we would start a blog to share all the wonderful news!  First things first, new location!  We're currently in the works on finding a new location for the business which we hope to announce soon.  Unfortunately, we've lost the lease on our current location on Columbia Ave. in Franklin.  Our mobile service will still be available as well. 

Be sure to check out our AWESOME coupon special for our Reflections Package for $69 at www.qponday.com.  Qpon Day is a locally owned franchise that works just like Groupon or Living Social.  The owner Dan is promoting this as a Valentine's Special.  He has several great offers from other local companies, too!

That's all the updates for now, but watch for more to come.  We plan to offer some great how-to articles, special offers, and some insight in to the science and technique behind what we do.  Thank you so much for your support over the years.  We look forward to this new chapter with you at DTG!